Splice assembly for connecting belt ends

Abstract

A splice assembly is provided for connecting together a pair of belt ends by a plurality of short lengths of cable in a manner which allows for troughing of the belt across its width at the connected belt ends. The lengths of cable engage at one of their ends to a first belt end, and engage at their other end to a second belt end, whereby the cables bear a tensile load along their axis. Belt fasteners having slots for engageably receiving the ends of the cables are affixed to both of the first and second belt ends to be joined along the entire width of the belt ends. There is a small gap between adjacent belt fasteners which allows for flexion of the belt thereat to allow for the aforementioned troughing of the belt. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the cable ends engage with respective belt fasteners in a manner which prevents movement of the cable ends relative to the belt fasteners during operation of the belt. A cable splice is provided in which a support slab, which protects the cables against abrasion or being snagged and which also maintains a plurality of cables in spaced, generally parallel relation to allow a group of cables to be picked up together and inserted into slots in the belt fasteners together. The opposite ends of the support slab, from which the ends of the cables protrude, are shaped and positioned such as being curved inwardly to accommodate the leading end of the belt fasteners at which the cable engages therewith, to shield this region from particulate sifting. The slots in the belt fasteners are preferably positioned on the underside of the belt fasteners to further minimize particulate sifting.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a conveyor belt, the combination comprising: a belt having first and second ends spliced together into an endless belt;   first belt fasteners secured across the first belt end and being spaced to allow troughing of the belt between the first belt fasteners;   second belt fasteners secured across the second belt end and being spaced to allow troughing of the belt between the second belt fasteners;   a plurality of belt splices each extending between a pair of first and second belt fasteners and interconnecting the belt fasteners to form therewith the splice to form the endless belt;   cables in the belt splices extending between the respective first and second belt fasteners and having opposite ends connected to the first and second belt fasteners with the cables taking tension loads between the respective belt ends;   and covers for the belt splices covering the cables to protect the cables from abrasion or snagging and for reducing the amount of sifting of material from the conveyor belt and through the belt splices.   
     
     
       2. In the conveyor belt of claim 1, the cover comprising a slab covering most of the length of the cables which have their opposite ends projecting from the slab; and end members on the respective end of the cables for connection to the respective first and second belt fasteners. 
     
     
       3. In the conveyor belt of claim 2, each slab comprising a body of plastic with a plurality of cables embedded therein, the end member being separately attached to each end of each cable, and a plurality of spaced separate slots in each of the first and second belt fasteners through which a cable end extends to position its end members inside of the respective first and second belt fasteners. 
     
     
       4. In the conveyor belt of claim 1, the first and second belt fasteners having a pair of upper and lower plates with vertically disposed openings in the respective plates, a loop in the belt fasteners connecting the upper and lower plates and having a slot therein through which extends a cable, and   end members on the cables extending vertically in the first and second belt fasteners and projecting into the openings in the upper and lower plates to transfer loads to and from the belt fastener plates.   
     
     
       5. In the conveyor belt of claim 1, the cover for the cables being a slab with a plurality of cables embedded therein, ends of the cables protruding from the slab, separate end members on each of the ends of the respective cables for connecting its associated cable to the respective first and second belt fasteners, each of the first and second belt fasteners having upper and lower plates secured to a belt end and having an open loop between the upper and lower plates, and a plurality of end members associated with each slab being positioned horizontally in each open loop. 
     
     
       6. A conveyor belt in accordance with claim 2 in which the plate fasteners are made of metal, the slab is a molded plastic body, and the cables are steel wire ropes. 
     
     
       7. A splice assembly for connecting together opposing first and second ends of a belt, the splice assembly comprising: first belt fasteners for connection to the first belt end;   second belt fasteners for connection to the second belt end; and   a cable splice for interconnecting the respective first and second belt fasteners;   a plurality of cables in the cable splice having opposite ends for connection to the respective first and second belt fasteners; and   a cover means for the belt cables in the cable splice, the cover means having means for substantially covering the cables across the space between the first and second belt fasteners against abrasion and snagging, and for reducing the sifting of material through the splice assembly.   
     
     
       8. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 7 in which the cover means comprises a slab of plastic with the cable embedded therein, and end members fixed to opposite ends of the cables and connected to the respective first and second belt fasteners. 
     
     
       9. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 8 in which the cables are formed of strands of metal wire, the ends of the wires being splayed, and the end members are metal members molded about the cable ends with the splayed wire ends embedded in the metal end members. 
     
     
       10. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 9 in which the first and second belt fasteners have upper and lower plates for disposition against upper and lower sides of the belt, apertures are formed in the upper and lower plates, and the end members extend vertically between the upper and lower plates and extend into the apertures therein. 
     
     
       11. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 9 in which the first and second belt fasteners have upper and lower plates and a loop joining the upper and lower plates, and the end members on the cables are for disposition horizontally within the loops of the belt fasteners. 
     
     
       12. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 11 in which openings in the lower plate admitted the end members into the loop and in which slots in the lower portion of the loop allow the ends of the cables to pass through the loops. 
     
     
       13. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the slab is flexible to allow bending of the slab about conveyor drive drums. 
     
     
       14. A splice assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the slab curves inwardly at said opposite ends of the slab from which the cable members extend, and at least a portion of each of the belt fasteners reside within the inwardly curved portion of the slab to reduce exposure to sifting. 
     
     
       15. A cable splice in accordance with claim 8 wherein the slab is made of flexible urethane to bend about driving drums. 
     
     
       16. A belt fastener for use with a cable splice having cables with ends and having at least one end member for connection to the belt fastener, the belt fastener comprising: a fastener body made of metal,   an upper plate on the fastener body having apertures therein to receive a fastener to secure the upper plate to a belt end,   a lower plate on the fastener body substantially parallel to the upper plate and having apertures aligned with the apertures in the upper plate to secure the lower plate to a lower side of the belt,   a loop on the fastener body connecting the upper and lower plates and for being spaced from a belt end,   openings in one of the upper and lower plates to allow passage of a cable end member through the plate into the loop, and   a slot in the loop through which the cable projects when the end member is received in the loop.   
     
     
       17. The belt fastener of claim 16 including a plurality of spaced openings in a lower plate of the fastener body to allow passage of spaced cable end members into the loop and a plurality of slots in the loop to receive a plurality of cables therein from the end members in the loop. 
     
     
       18. A belt fastener for use with a cable splice having cables with ends and having at least one end member for connection to the belt fastener, the belt fastener comprising: a fastener body made of metal,   an upper plate on the fastener body having apertures therein to receive a fastener to secure the upper plate to a belt end,   a lower plate on the fastener body substantially parallel to the upper plate and having apertures aligned with the apertures in the upper plate to secure the lower plate to a lower side of the belt,   a loop on the fastener body connecting the upper and lower plates and for being spaced from a belt end,   first holes in the upper plate and aligned, second holes in the lower plate for receiving upper and lower ends of a vertically positioned end member within the loop, and at least one slot in the loop to allow the cables to extend through the loops from the vertically positioned end member in the fastener body.   
     
     
       19. A belt fastener in accordance with claim 18 in which the first and second holes are sized slightly smaller than the end member to have a force bit therewith. 
     
     
       20. A belt fastener in accordance with claim 19 including aligning means in the loop for aligning upper and lower ends of the end members with the first and second holes. 
     
     
       21. A cable splice for interconnecting belt fasteners secured to opposing ends of a belt, the cable splice comprising: a body of resilient material having a first side for being positioned adjacent a first belt fastener and a second opposite side for being positioned adjacent a second opposing belt fastener,   a plurality of cables in the body extending across the body between the first and second sides of the body with ends of the cables projecting from the respective sides of the body,   at least one first end member connected to the protruding ends of the cables at one end of the body for connection to a belt fastener, and   at least one second end member connected to the protruding ends of the cables at the other end of the body for connection to second belt fasteners.   
     
     
       22. A belt splice in accordance with claim 21 in which the ends of the cables are splayed and the respective end members are molded about the splayed ends.